Category Archives: Phillies

Inspired by a comment left on my preseason rankings, and a bit of revisionism over at good friend Black Label Tennis, I’ve decided to revisit and revise my MLB starting rotation rankings. With the MLB season nearly halfway over, here’s my take on the top 5 starting rotations.

Even if the Four Aces have been reduced to three, the Phillies still have the best collection of starters in all of baseball.

1. Philadelphia Phillies – I had the Phillies in this spot to start the season, and at the halfway point, I don’t see a reason to change this ranking. As of writing, the Phillies have the best ERA in the league (3.05), the most complete games (9), and the best ERA+ (126). The Phillies have had 7 pitchers start at least 5 games this season, with only Joe Blanton posting an ERA above 4. Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels have been Cy Young worthy. Cliff Lee has had a few ups and downs, but has a 4 game winning streak during which he has given up just 1 earned run in 33 innings. Sure Roy Oswalt hasn’t pitched as well as many expected, but even in relatively poor form (for him), he has posted a 3.79 ERA with a 101 ERA+. Kyle Kendrick (4-4, 3.23 ERA, 119 ERA+) and Vance Worley (2-1, 2.83 ERA, 139 ERA+) have performed well filling in for Big Joe and Oswalt. The Phillies have the best record in baseball and the largest division lead. The only reason the Phillies don’t have more wins is due to an offense that is impotent at times. For a great explanation of just how good the Phillies have been, check out this post over at Crashburn Alley.

2. San Francisco Giants – This was a tough call, as San Francisco and my #3 ranked team, the Atlanta Braves, have both pitched extremely well. In the end, I decided to keep my preseason number 2 in place. Each of the San Francisco starters, except Barry Zito, who has started just 3 games (there’s always a black sheep), has an ERA of under 4. Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain are studs, and pitching like it. Journeyman, Ryan Vogelsong has been phenomenal in relief of Zito, posting a 1.86 ERA and a 200 ERA+ in 13 games (11 starts). Madison Bumgarner and Jonathan Sánchez have also pitched well. It will be interesting to see if Vogelsong can keep up his stellar performance.

Jair Jurrjens has leads a Braves pitching staff that is 2nd in MLB in ERA, behind only the Phillies.

3. Atlanta Braves – Though it pains me, as a Phillies fan, the Braves have earned this spot. After finishing with an honorable mention in the preseason rankings, the Braves jump all the way to #3 based on the fact that they have a 3.1o ERA and a 123 ERA+. Jair Jurrjens looks like the early Cy Young leader in the NL. He leads the National League in ERA (2.07) and ERA+ (183) and has bounced back from a subpar 2010 in a big way. Tommy Hanson has been nearly as good as Jurrjens, with a 2.48 ERA and 153 ERA+. Brandon Beachy has grabbed the 5th starting spot by posting a 3.22 ERA in 9 starts. Tim Hudson is having another good season, though not as good as last year. Derek Lowe is the weakest link in the rotation. Any team that can say that is in pretty good shape.

4. Oakland Athletics – The A’s keep their #4 spot and represent the first American League team to make the list. The A’s staff has been as good as advertised and have gotten contributions from 9 different starters. The worst of those 9, Graham Godfrey, has pitched 17 innings over three games with a 4.24 ERA. The best, Gio Gonzalez (2.59 ERA, 159 ERA+), has been CY Young caliber. Opening Day started, Trevor Cahill has struggled as times, but is following up his stellar 2010 with a 2011 that is nearly as good. Despite getting just three starts from Dallas Braden, he of the perfect game, the A’s have the lowest ERA in the AL. Not bad for a patchwork starting rotation.

5. Seattle Mariners – The final spot was a tough call. The San Diego Padres pushed hard for this spot. In the end, the Mariners (who weren’t even on my radar to begin the season) make it into the list because their rotation is the reason they sit just 1.5 games out of first place in the AL West. Twenty-two year-old rookie, Michael Pineda has been a revelation for the Mariners. One his way to a 2.45 ERA and 150 ERA+, Pineda has defeated the Phillies (6 innings, 1 ER) , pitched well against the Rangers and Yankees and given up more than 3 earned runs just twice in 15 starts. Felix Hernandez has been good, though not as good as we have come to expect (3.18 ERA). Erik Bedard seems to have found the Fountain of Youth in the Pacific Northwest, posting a 2.93 ERA in 14 starts. The other two Mariners’ starters, Doug Fister and Jason Vargas, both have sub-4 ERAs and 2 complete games a piece.

Dropped Out: The Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Red Sox and Dodgers both drop out of the list because due to lack of consistency from pitchers expected to perform.

Josh Beckett has looked rejuvenated this season and leads MLB in several statistical categories.

Boston Red Sox – John Lackey has been dreadful for the Sox. Daisuke Matsuzaka is out for season and pitched poorly before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz are both pitching well, just not as well as last season. The lone bright spot for the Red Sox (at least in the starting rotation) is the return to form of Josh Beckett. Beckett leads the majors in ERA (1.86), ERA+ (217) , is second in WHIP (.924) , and has thrown a complete game.

These are heady days for baseball fans. Every team is undefeated, and hope springs eternal. With the first games of Spring Training set for Friday, it seemed like it was time to start blogging about baseball again.

A question that seems to be on every baseball fan’s mind is – who has the best starting pitching staff in baseball? Below is my humble attempt at answering that question. Let me know if you agree/disagree.

The Phillies boast a rotation that would make any team jealous. (photo from the4aces.net)

Think about this, Lee, who won the Cy Young in the AL in 2008 joins a staff that includes: reigning Cy Young winner Roy Halladay; 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels; and 3-time All-Star Roy Oswalt. What other team can match that pitching depth? The answer – NONE!

Just look at their numbers from last season:

I know that Lee, Hamels and Oswalt did not have great records, look at the other stats! Ridiculous. Also keep in mind that when Oswalt was with the Phillies he was 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA. The Phillies now have the best pitching staff in the league.

It doesn’t matter who takes the fifth starter spot (though I think it will be Joe Blanton), the Phillies have the most formidable starting rotation in baseball.

Tim Lincecum anchors the rotation for the defending World Series champions.

2. San Francisco Giants – As seen in last year’s NLCS, the Giants’ pitching staff can hang with the Phillies. Tim Lincecum, who struggled at times last season, found his form in the playoffs. Matt Cain made the Phillies’ offense look pedestrian. Jonathan Sanchez looks like he is ready to take the next step toward becoming an elite lefty. Madison Bumgarner developed over the course of the season and looks set for a big year. The only question mark is Barry Zito as the fifth starter, but if he even has an average year (10-14, 4.45 ERA in his time with the Giants) he will be a pretty decent 5th starter.

If Beckett and Lackey can bounce back, the Sox will be tough. (Image from CBS local/Credit: Dan Roche/CBS)

3. Boston Red Sox – Some might question the Red Sox being ranked this highly, especially after the poor performance last season of Josh Beckett, John Lackey and the enigma that is Daisuke Matsuzaka, but I believe that at least one of the aforementioned pitchers will rebound this year. If more than one can return to the form all have previously exhibited, the Red Sox will have a formidable rotation. Jon Lester (19-9, 3.25 ERA) and Clay Buchholz (17-7, 2.33 ERA), two guys I thought deserved more Cy Young consideration last season, anchor the rotation. Even if Beckett and Lackey turn in career average years – 15-10, 3.96 ERA for Becket & 15-10, 3.89 ERA for Lackey – the rotation should be good enough to win the AL East. Any positive contribution Dice-K can give will be an added bonus.

Trevor Cahill and the Athletics could unseat the Rangers in the AL West. The A's certainly have the pitching.

4. Oakland Athletics – This selection might surprise some, as the Athletics toil in obscurity in Oakland, but the A’s have a legit rotation. I think this excerpt from a post on pitching rotations sums up the A’s:

Check out these stats and compare them with any pitching staff in MLB: Brett Anderson 7-6 2.80 ERA 75 K’s, Trevor Cahill 18-8 2.97 ERA 118 K’s, Gio Gonzalez 15-9 3.23 ERA 171 K’s, Dallas Braden 11-14 3.50 ERA 113 K’s and a perfect game. Average age…25!! Oakland led the AL with a 3.56 era, 17 shutouts and held opponents to a .245 batting average. Question mark is 5th starter but they have many young guys to choose from in the minors and they also signed Rich Harden. If they can get any hitting they could be a team no one would like to play come October.

Clayton Kershaw is my early dark horse for the NL Cy Young. This kid is for real.

In making this list, several teams just missed the number 5 spot (I feel like the top 4 are pretty set). The St. Louis Cardinals would likely have made the top 5, but with concerns about the health of Adam Wainwright‘s elbow, the rotation is weakened. Some have been touting the Milwaukee Brewers with Zack Greinke joining Shaun Marcum and Yovani Gallardo at Miller Park. I think the Brewers have the beginnings of a very good rotation, but it remains to be seen how Greinke will adjust to the NL and whether Marcum is for real. A third team that many have in their top 5 are the Padres. Mat Latos and Clayton Richard are two studs at the top of the rotation but after the top 2 there are more questions than answers. Also, could Latos be in for a sophomore slump? Lastly, the Atlanta Braves are in the discussion as well, especially if Derek Lowe and Jair Jurrjens can rebound from subpar 2010 seasons. Looks like I could have found one more team and written a top 10.

What is there to say about yesterday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers? The Eagles cost me $5! Any time the Eagles play the Packers or 49ers (she lives outside of San Francisco), my wife’s grandmother calls to set up a bet. The Packers were my wife’s grandfather’s favorite team. He grew up in Wisconsin and was a life long Packers fan. He and I used to bet on the games, and now my wife’s grandmother has continued the tradition.

Beyond the Eagles costing me 5 dollars, this paragraph should suffice. The Birds played poorly in every facet of the game. It’s easy to blame David Akers for the loss, his two missed field goals are the most glaring mistakes; however, this is just not accurate. The defense was porous, giving up points at the most inopportune times. Sean McDermott’s squad gifted the Packers points (see the offside penalty that extended Green Bay’s fist scoring drive), and the tackling was atrocious. The other side of the ball wasn’t much better. Michael Vick and company were unable to mount sustained drives when the team needed them most.

With that brief discussion of my thoughts on yesterday’s game out of the way, I am moving on. While I clearly support the Eagles and Phillies the most vocally, I am a fan of both the Sixers and the Flyers. Some might not know it, but there are other sports going on in Philly. The Flyers sit atop the Eastern Conference with a 26-10-5 record and have played well all season. They are fun to watch and I suggest Philly sports fans going through withdrawal should check them out. The Sixers sit 8th in the Eastern Conference, despite a 15-22 record. Not to shabby.

With over a month until pitchers and catchers report, I will be focusing most of the blogging on the Flyers and Sixers. I will also be looking to blog more about soccer and college basketball (Duke has started the season 15-0, and BU look like they will compete for the America East title).

The Philadelphia Phillies gave their fans an early Christmas present by signing Cliff Lee!

Wow! Just as I am trying to finish the semester (only one more day!) another can’t miss story comes along. Like the results of the World Cup voting, how can I not comment on the Philadelphia Phillies signing one Clifton Phifer Lee for $120 million over 5 years (with a vesting option for a 6th year)? I mean seriously! Did this really happen!? Things like this never happen to Philly teams. Generally, free agents have spurned teams from Philadelphia, especially the Phillies. I guess the winning culture developed over the last several years has started to pay dividends beyond the World Series title and 4 straight years in the playoffs. The Phillies are now a destination for free agents.

The most interesting part of the Phillies signing Cliff Lee is that he left money on the table to sign with them. Both the Yankees and the Rangers offered more cash and more years. According to Phillies beat writer Randy Miller, Lee’s wife played an important role in him signing with the Phillies. She was reportedly spit on and harassed during the ALCS. Looks like the stupid New Yokr fans may have cost the Yankees. All I can say is thank you Yankee fans!

I am almost too excited by Lee joining the rotation to write anything coherent! Think about this, Lee, who won the Cy Young in the AL in 2008 joins a staff that includes: reigning Cy Young winner Roy Halladay; 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels; and 3-time All-Star Roy Oswalt. What other team can match that pitching depth? The answer – NONE!

Just look at their numbers from last season:
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I know that Lee, Hamels and Oswalt did not have great records, look at the other stats! Ridiculous. Also keep in mind that when Oswalt was with the Phillies he was 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA. The Phillies now have the best pitching staff in the league. The only other team that could even make an argument would be the Red Sox with Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Josh Beckett and John Lackey, but a couple of those guys have some questions marks and underperformed last season.

Assuming the Phillies can score runs for their Big Four, a problem at times last year, they have to be considered the early favorites to win the National League and the odds on favorite to win the World Series.

This weekend was a tough one for Philadelphia sports fans. Our beloved Phillies flamed out in the NLCS against an inferior opponent, and the Eagles forgot how to hold a lead against the Titans. I could easily write a post full of recriminations of both the Phillies and the Eagles (hello Ryan Howard, how do you not swing at that pitch!? But don’t blame him, as set out in this post on FanGraphs) but those topics have been covered to death by both the mainstream media and in the blogosphere. Instead of harping on that mistakes that were made (Kenny Britt and his 225 yards and 3 TDs against the Birds), I am asking – where to I turn my sporting attentions after this tough weekend?

The baseball season is over, and with the Phillies already committing $143 million to just 16 players in 2011 there will be no major signings to keep the hot stove hot during the winter. Very little chance of entertainment or something interesting happening in that area.

The football season does not look promising either. This Eagles team is deeply flawed, but then again so is the rest of the NFL, and looked lost in the second half against the Titans. While Sunday’s game should settle any talk of a quarterback controversy, it didn’t provide much hope for the future. With the Eagles facing just two teams with records currently under .500 the second half of the season could be rough. While I haven’t given up hope yet, the NFC is a conference of parity, the Birds will need to get their act together to make some noise. Plus, this week is a bye.

It’s much to early to care about the NHL or the NBA in a meaningful way. Sure I will catch some games here or there, but these leagues don’t consume my attention until well into the spring (read when they get to the playoffs, with over half the teams making the postseason the regular season is rendered irrelevant).

Cameron Indoor Stadium, home of my favorite team - the Duke Blue Devils.

We are still weeks away from college basketball tipping off, but here again is another sport where I just can’t bring myself to focus more than a small amount of my attention before conference play starts in January. Sure there will be some early season marquee matchups (Duke-Michigan State on December 1 or a rematch of last year’s title game – Duke-Butler on December 4) that will draw my interest, but the season doesn’t really start until you are in conference play.

College football provides me with some distraction, but with Penn State floundering my interest is only in seeing Boise State crash the BCS title party. What is a sports fan to do? Where do I turn for my sports distractions?

I am counting on Rhett and the Terriers to deliver me some sporting hope.

It appears college hockey, a realm where my alma mater – Boston University is a contender, and world soccer will be my areas of interest for the next several months. While I can never quit the Eagles, I need more than just one team to fulfill my sporting needs. So here’s to the Terriers! Here’s to Arsenal and Reading FC! My sporting hopes lie with you, don’t let me down.

Charlie has made some curious decisions this postseason. Hopefully, they will not cost the Phillies a trip to the World Series.

As I sit here, hours before my beloved Phillies start what could be their last game of the season, I can’t help but wonder what has Charlie been thinking? I will be the first to admit that I love Charlie Manuel. He has been a great manager for the Phillies, and has taken them to unprecedented heights for this team, but this postseason has been riddled with questionable calls.

Last night Jayson Stark tweeted the following about one of Charlie’s many puzzling decisions (the decision to have Antonio Bastardo pitch to Buster Posey): “If Charlie Manuel was going to bring in Madson in this inning, not sure why he waited until after Posey doubled off a LHP. Any theories?” My reply sums up my belief on what has happened to Charlie, “Charlie’s body has been invaded by an alien who doesn’t know baseball. Only explanation for all of his curious moves recently.” For those who haven’t been watching or who have lost count, let’s discuss some of the questionable calls made during Game 4:

1. Allowing Joe Blanton to pitch to Aubrey Huff in the 5th when Bastardo was ready in the bullpen. Huff went on to hit a run scoring single, driving in Andres Torres who was on second after pinch-hitting for Madison Bumgarner. Since it is clear that Charlie had decided to pull Blanton at some point in the fifth if he got in trouble, why not play the matchup game? I know that Huff had a .200 batting average against Blanton going into the game, but those numbers came in a small sample size (21 plate appearances, most of them coming several years ago). Huff also hit lefties pretty well during his career, batting .275 or 11 points below his career average against righties. Why allow Huff to hit against Blanton?

2. Not having Jimmy Rollins bunt with Jayson Werth on 2nd in the 8th. With Werth standing on second with no outs after driving in Ryan Howard, the only logical response would have been to have a struggling Rollins sacrifice Werth to third in an attempt to secure another run. Following Werth’s double, Rollins popped out and Ben Francisco and Carlos Ruiz struck out. Werth was left standing on second and the Phillies were staring at a tied ballgame.

3. Also in the 8th inning, not pinch-hitting for Francisco. Manuel has allowed Bruce Bochy to dictate matchups throughout much of the NLCS and this was another case. I will excerpt from Jose Arangure Jr.’s article for ESPN to explain why this was ill-advised:

For the most important at-bat of the season to that point, Manuel chose to stick with a player (Francisco) who entered the game with just one plate appearance in the entire playoffs.

Bochy has been extremely reluctant to use Affeldt during the playoffs (he’s pitched just one inning), yet Manuel allowed the entire sequence to be affected by the possibility of Affeldt pitching. This year, left-handed batters had a gaudy .837 OPS against Affeldt, almost 100 points higher than what right-handed batters hit against him.

But Manuel simply could have used Ibanez. Only once in the seven times when Affeldt and Ibanez faced each other — the first time in 2004 — did an at-bat end with Ibanez behind in the count, and not once did an at-bat end in a strikeout. So far Affeldt has been unable to fool Ibanez (2-for-6, including a triple against him during the regular season).

This sight (taken from a game in August) should not have been seen during Game 4 in San Francisco.

4. Using Roy Oswalt in the ninth. This move baffled everyone. As I sat on the couch, the twittersphere exploded with tweets of surprise. Why would Charlie use Oswalt in this spot, potentially blowing him for Game 6? This game was not an elimination game. It was an important game, some might even say a must-win, but even with the loss the Phillies are still playing today. You don’t make moves like using a starter in the 9th inning of a tied game unless the game is do-or-die. This move makes the non-use of Roy Halladay to start the game even more confusing. If Charlie was wiling to use one of the starters on short rest (even if it were only in relief), why not start your best pitcher? Charlie treated this game like an elimination game, and if he felt the game was that important you need to have your best pitcher on the mound. I respect Blanton, but you have to start Doc in that game. Now the question remains, what is the rotation going forward? Does Oswalt still start Game 6, or do you push Cole Hamels up and have Oswalt pitch Game 7? If Oswalt pitches Game 6, how will his Game 4 experience affect his start?

Other than criticism for Charlie’s moves, the Giants deserve some props for playing well and making their own luck. Last night, in a storm of tweets, I wrote “Seriously! This is getting ridiculous. When do we start discussing Giants as team of destiny? Only way to explain this series.” The Giants have gotten all the breaks and have made his own. For those keeping score: the Giants have three wins against H2o as starters (2 as starters and one as a reliever), the Phillies have committed errors and wild pitches that have led to runs, the Giants’ pitching staff has been excellent, the Giants have gotten production from guys who are bench/platoon players at best while the Phillies have not been able to hit. It’s clear that the aura that has been around the Phillies is slightly tarnished and perhaps is on its way to being transferred to the Giants.

The Phillies now have their backs against the wall and need Doc to spin some magic tonight. Do I think they can come back from a 3-1 deficit? Yes. ESPN and other media outlets will be trumpeting the fact that 72 teams have trailed 3 games to 1 in best-of-7 postseason series and only 11 came back to win the series. This fact has no bearing on this series, but is illustrative. The Phillies have a mountain to climb, but with Doc, Hamels and Oswalt going in some order, they have the pitchers to make it happen. Will H2o return to their September form and will the offense wake up? In order to advance, the Phillies need the answer to be yes.

Earlier this evening, as I was coming into the house after work, I noticed a card in the mail. I could tell by the address label on the front of the envelope that the card was from my wife’s grandmother. I expected the card to discuss the recent 49ers–Eagles game, as my wife’s grandmother and I have a long-standing bet when the Niners and Eagles play (same goes for the Packers, my wife’s grandfather’s favorite team). While the card did mention the Eagles/Niners game, she devoted half of the card to the Giants vs. Phillies. While not normally much of a baseball fan, she just couldn’t resist making a bet (our usual $5) on the series. She’s quite enamored with Tim Lincecum, but conceded that the Phillies might “have [the Giants] for their breakfast” due to San Francisco’s lack of hitting. Leave it to her to snap me out of my funk and get me to write a blog post about the series. It’s a good thing the card got here today and not on Monday, or I would have missed out on the opportunity to weigh in on the series before it started.

Prompted by my wife’s grandmother’s comment about San Francisco’s lack of hitting, I decided to look into the offensive stats of both teams. While San Francisco doesn’t have the offensive talents of the Phillies’ most recent opponents, the Giants are in the upper half (check out the bottom of the table where it displays the rankings) of the National League in most major offensive categories.

Two of the biggest areas of weakness for the Giants are team speed and patience at the plate. The Giants stole just 55 bases all season, good (or bad) enough to place them in a last place tie in the NL with the Cubs. The Giants also hit into the most double plays (158) in the NL. This lack of team speed could come back to haunt a team not likely to have many base runners facing the Phillies pitching staff. Plate discipline has been another area of weakness, with the Giants ranking 13th out of 16 teams in walks, and 12th in strikeouts. Clearly this is a team that will swing freely at pitches, which should play into the hands of the Phillies’ pitchers. That being said, the Giants do have some pop, ranking 6th in homer runs, just behind the Phillies. It is worth noting that the Phillies rank ahead of the Giants in every major offensive category.

For those that want to use the regular season as a guide for this series, the Phillies and Giants split the series 3-3. The Giants won 2 of 3 in San Francisco back in April. The Phillies won 2 of 3 at Citizens Bank Park in August, including a game I was lucky enough to attend and blog about. In those 6 games, the Giants put up a better batting average (.290 vs. .226) and hit more home runs (8 vs. 3), but the Phillies scored more runs (29 vs. 27). The Giants put up better pitching numbers posting a better ERA (4.00 vs. 4.50) and a better WHIP (1.204 vs. 1.333).

Will the Giants' pitcher-friendly park be a factor? Or will the Phillies' lefties put a few into McCovey Cove?

Clearly, the teams benefited from playing in their home parks, and it will be interesting to see if that continues. While the regular season numbers can help paint a picture of what to expect, the teams are both vastly different from even the last time they played. The Giants went through a poor run of play, but finished the season strong, going 20-10 over the last 30 games. The Phillies, as has been well documented, were on fire for much of the 2nd half and especially in September.

This series will present some interesting pitching matchups, a point the media has beaten to death. The first game will see defending Cy Young award winner, Lincecum take on the presumptive 2010 Cy Young winner, Roy Halladay. As Eno Sarris points out over on Fangraphs, Lincecum has pitched well vs. the Phillies (3.17 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP in seven games) and Halladay has floundered against the Giants (7.23 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in three games), but this means little. As Sarris writes:

Those numbers are career splits, and what do starts against other iterations of these lineups even mean? Diddly. And then, if we try to boil it down to splits in this season, we get one poor game for Halladay against the Giants (seven innings, ten hits, five runs, five strikeouts and no walks) and one excellent game for Lincecum (eight and a third innings, three hits, two runs, 11 strikeouts and one walk).

Will "The Freak" be able to shut down the potent Phillies offense?

Beyond “The Freak” vs. “Doc”, the pitching will dominate this series. Bill Baer at Crashburn Alley previews the starting pitching staffs (Blanton and the SF starters, look here for more on H2O), and likens the matchup to the choice between “Maine lobster and filet mignon”, as opposed to Phillies vs. Reds (Maine lobster and Alpo).

Baer also previews the Giants’ starting 8 here, and the Phillies’ here. I’m not sure that I agree with all of his breakdown of who wins each position. Baer summarizes his previews like this (my comments in italics following each position):

Catcher: Push – While I have much love for Carlos Ruiz, I think Buster Posey is the better player. Will Chooch’s experience make this a push? Or will Posey’s superior offense win out?

First base: Giants – I have to argue this point, while Aubrey Huff has had a great season, Ryan Howard is still the better player. While the Big Piece hasn’t driven in any runs and only has 3 hits in 11 at-bats this postseason, he is still a former MVP.

Second base: Phillies – I can’t argue this assessment, as Chase Utley is clearly the best 2B in the game, even if he was hurt for part of the season.

Third base: Phillies – If Pablo Sandoval were playing like he did last year, this would be a much closer race, but he has suffered a sophomore slump. Placido Polanco has been battling an elbow injury, but he is still better than Mike Fontenot or the artist formerly known as Kung Fu Panda.

Shortstop: Phillies – Jimmy Rollins, who is starting to look a little healthier, is better than Edgar Renteria or Juan Uribe. It’s just a fact.

Left field: Giants – Funny the difference a year makes. Last year, Raul Ibanez would have beaten Pat Burrell hands down. This season, Pat the Bat has seen a resurgence while Rauuuuuuuuuuul has started to show his age. Given Burrell’s resurgence, I would have to agree with this one.

Center field: Giants – Andres Torres has been a bright spot for the Giants in his first full season. I had the pleasure of seeing a game at AT&T Park earlier this season (April 24) with my wife’s cousin and uncle and I remember both her cousin and I wondering why Torres wasn’t playing. Finally given the chance to start regularly at the beginning of May, Torres has been a revelation. For he Phillies, Shane Victorino had an up and down year, but the Flyin’ Hawaiian has shown that he can perform on the big stage. I would call this a push.

I am excited about this series. I have a couple friendly wagers with my wife’s family (her grandmother and her cousin), and the pitching matchups should make this a classic. While I think the Giants will put up more of a fight than the Reds, I believe the Phillies are the better team and will win this series in 6.

The final out of Halladay's second no-hitter of the season (photo from Jeff Sullivan at SB Nation)

October 6, 2010 – The day Roy Halladay threw the first no-hitter by an NL pitcher in the history of baseball. According to @MLB_PR on Twitter, the game was the 1263rd playoff game in history, and just the 2nd no-hitter. Let that sink in for a second.

October 6, 2010 – A date many Phillies‘ fans (and baseball fans in general) will not soon forget. Fans of the Phillies may even remember where they were as Doc threw his second no-hitter of the season, becoming just the 5th man to do that in a season.

October 6, 2010 – The date this fan missed his favorite team’s ace throw a no-hitter because he was in French class! Are you kidding me! How did I allow this to happen? I contemplated skipping class, but I had an exam, so that was out. My only recourse to follow the game in real-time was to keep track of it on my Droid X using MLB At-Bat, and hope that I wouldn’t miss anything historic. In retrospect, I should have set my Tivo. I didn’t and I missed an historic event. What an idiot!

Enough with my rant, time to talk about the game. Much has been written, and rightfully so, about Roy Halladay’s brilliance and this post will add to those words. Roy Halladay is simply the best pitcher in baseball. He has been a beast throughout his career and his first season with the Phillies has been superlative. To quote Bill Baer of Crashburn Alley:

In his first year with the Phillies, Halladay has:

Pitched a perfect-game against the Florida Marlins

Made the NL All-Star team

Pitched a complete game shut-out to help his team clinch the division against the Washington Nationals

Pitched a no-hitter in Game One of the NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds, his first career post-season start

On the day the trade went down that brought Halladay to the Phillies, I knew that he would be awesome in Philly. I said to my wife’s uncle, that Halladay would easily have an ERA in the low 2’s (he ended the season with a 2.44 ERA) and that he was my favorite to win the Cy Young award. When I made that prediction, I didn’t know he would be this good.

How good Halladay was last night? According to the ever helpful Baseball-Reference.com, Halladay’s pitching performance had a game score of 94, which tied it with Don Larsen‘s famous perfect game for the 4th best game score in post season history! Two of the three players who finished with better game scores pitched into extra innings, adding points to their totals. Roger Clemens (the man with the best game score) struck out 15 batters in a one-hitter against Seattle. Strike outs count for something in the computation of game scores, so the Rocket grabs the top spot.

But of course it was his work on the mound that was so impressive. He showed legendary control in pitching his no-hitter, only producing 25 balls on 104 pitches. He induced weak groundball after weak groundball (12 of them, to 6 fly balls). He was efficient – using only 11.6 pitches per inning. He was dominant. He had the kind of game that will go down in history right next to Don Larsen’s perfect game. He produced a game of which everyone who watched felt unworthy. He was awe-some.

That type of dominance is the reason the Phillies brought Halladay to Broad and Pattison. I can’t wait to see what Doc has in store for us as the postseason continues.

Of course, the night couldn’t simply be a celebration of Roy Hallday’s greatness, somebody had to cause some controversy. In what sounds a lot like sour grapes, Orlando Cabrera decided to spout these words, “He and the umpire pitched a no-hitter. He gave him every pitch. Basically, we had no chance.” In response to this comment, as Eno Sarris points out using data from BrooksBaseball.net, Cabrera had nothing to complain about. See the chart:

As you can see, Halladay had little help from umpire John Hirschbeck.

Clearly, Cabrera should take some lessons from fellow Red, Jonny Gomes who had this to say about Halladay,

I think Doc actually took the umpire out of the game by just throwing strikes. I really didn’t have any questionable strikes on me. I’m not really worried about the umpire too much. I’m worried about the guy on the mound. He did a great job — all four corners down and in, up and in, down and out. He threw all four pitches in all four corners.

Props to Gomes for showing some respect for the achievement, for the pitcher and for being a class act.

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s game; can the Phillies other Roy (Oswalt) pitch the Phillies to a 2-0 series lead or will the Reds and their potent offense strike back?

Oh, and if you missed the game like I did, check out all 27 outs here.

Wow, I can’t believe I haven’t written a post in 10 days. I’ve started taking classes again, and they have sucked up most of my free time. My intention is to try to post 2 or 3 post per week while I am taking classes. I will likely post on weekends, Thursdays and possibly Tuesdays.

Since my last post, tons of stuff has happened in the world of sports: the Champions League has played its second game; the Phillies clinched their 4th straight N.L. East title (and best record in the National League); the Red Sox have been eliminated from playoff contention; the Eagles have looked good with Michael Vick at quarterback (and face a game against former QB Donovan McNabb and the Redskins); the NHL preseason has started; and NBA training camps have kicked off. I guess this is what happens when you don’t post for a week and a half.

Former Panathinaikos forward and current member of FC Copenhagen, Dame N'Doye has led the Lions to the top of Group D.

Soccer – The Champions League has played two rounds of soccer since my last post on the beautiful game, so this seemed like a good time to take a look at what has transpired. The biggest surprise has to be F.C. Copenhagen who currently sit atop Group D with 6 points from 2 games. This is no easy feat, as the group contains perennial contenders, Barcelona. Copenhagen opened the campaign with a 1-0 victory of Rubin Kazan, and followed that victory with an impressive 2-0 victory over Panathinaikos in Greece. Barcelona opened with a 5-1 drubbing of the Greeks but was held in Russia by Rubin Kazan, giving the Catalans 4 points from 2 games. I expect Barça to win the group, but you have to think the Danes have the inside track on 2nd at this point (making my prediction of Panathinaikos finishing 2nd incorrect).

Equally surprising is the poor showing by Marseille, who have lost their first two matches and haven’t scored a goal (1-0 to Spartak Moscow at the Stade Vélodrome and 2-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge). Marseille, last year’s Ligue 1 champions, currently sit 6th in the league and have enjoyed a good run of form domestically; however, they have not been able to translate that into international competition. This is another group where my prediction could be terribly wrong, as Marseille need to make up 6 points on Spartak in order to finish 2nd (Chelsea is oviously going to win this group).

Of the big names, Arsenal and Chelsea have looked the most impressive to open the competition, with the Gunners enjoying a +8 goal difference (though their group is rather weak) and the Blues posting a +5. Looking at the rest of the competition, the most of the groups have gone rather predictably, with no other major upsets or disappointments yet.

Baseball – My dream of my two teams once again making the playoffs came to halt this week when the Red Sox were eliminated from contention with a loss to the White Sox. I suppose I should have been prepared for this when Theo Epstein said this was a “bridge” year for the Sox, but I held out hope (at least until I saw them get drubbed by the Blue Jays a month ago). But even after that drubbing, I hoped the Sox could make a comeback. They even teased me by winning the first two games of their series against the Yankees. Had they been able to sweep, who knows what could have happened?

As for the Phillies, they have continued to steamroll through the N.L. on their way to their 4th straight division title. This is new territory for me as a Phillies fan. For my whole life, up until the last 6 or 7 seasons (and not counting that magical 1993 team), the Phillies have been terrible. The team has never had a stretch where they have been this competitive for this many years (other than in the mid 70s). I’m not sure how to be a fan of the front-runners.

The Big Three could start all but 2 of the Phillies' playoff games. Watch out MLB.

The Phils are clearly the favorites in the National League, some might argue the entire league. With their “Big Three” pitchers, they will be tough to beat in a short series. The Phils made a shrewd decision to select the longer division series (extra day off) giving them the opportunity to pitch on a three-man rotation. Whomever they play in the first round should start booking their tee times because the series will be over in short order.

Football – The Eagles have certainly supplied a lot of drama over the first few weeks of the season. Kevin Kolb, the anointed successor to former stalwart Donovan McNabb, went down with a concussion in the early part of the first game against Green Bay. Following the injury, Michael Vick came in and led the Birds to a near comeback. Vick looked good, and followed with a great game against Detroit. Following the Detroit game, The Eagles announced that Vick would be the starter even after Kolb was healthy.

Michael Vick has looked good in his two starts. Will he lead the Birds to the promised land?

Who saw this coming? I expected Vick to play at some point, because I wasn’t sold on Kolb, but I never saw the Eagles abandoning Kolb so early in the season. Andy Reid had just traded the franchise to a division rival because he believed Kolb was the answer, and then he gives the kid a quarter to prove himself? Crazy! Undoubtedly, Vick has looked good in his time as the starter (though he has yet to face a decent team), but to abandon Kolb seems short-sighted. Unless the Eagles truly believe they can win the Super Bowl this season, I just don’t think this move makes sense. I know they have a soft schedule to start the season and they need to rack up as many wins as they can, but they are stunting Kolb’s growth by not allowing him to start. Vick is clearly not the long-term answer, and Kolb (who I wasn’t sure was the answer either) may never evolve into that solution. I have enjoyed watching Vick play the last couple of weeks, and there is nothing America loves more than a redemption story, but the Birds need to think about the long-term.

On another note, I think the first couple of games has shown that perhaps Andy Reid should have been the person shown the door instead of McNabb. Reid’ poor clock management and less than stellar play calling have continued. In the game against Green Bay, Reid used all of his timeouts before the 5 minute mark of the 4th quarter and he called a misguided 4th-and-1 play where Vick ran a draw rather than a simple run up the middle. These calls could have drastically changed the outcome of the game. Maybe the Birds didn’t need a new quarterback, just a new coach.

Other Sports – In other news, the Flyers have started the preseason and look to make another run to the Stanley Cup Finals, and the Sixers have started training camp. Both should merit watching and will be covered more in this space once the NHL and NBA season get closer.

In my haste to get the Champions League previews written and posted before the games started, I neglected to write something about how the Philadelphia Phillies have stormed from 7 games behind on July 21 to take a 3 game lead on the Braves heading into today’s games.

So, how did the Phillies get here, and did anyone really see this coming?

How did the Phillies get here? – The Phillies reached their nadir in late July following a four game losing streak that put their record at 48-46 for the season. They were staring up at both the Mets and the Braves and even the Wild Card looked like a long shot. How could a team that stormed out of the gate, posting a 7-1 record through their first 8 games fall so far behind so quickly? Following the torrid start, the Phillies finished April 12-10. They followed that by going 16-12 in May, 13-13 in June, 15-13 in July. As I mentioned in a post just before the All-Star Break the Phillies have a history of success in the second half. This has been the case once again this season, as the Phillies have posted a 40-15 (.727) record since July 21.

Roy Oswalt has been a beast since joining the Phillies. He has posted a 7-1 record with a 1.94 ERA since the trade.

Much of this success stems from the stellar pitching the team has received from the front half of the starting rotation. Cole Hamels has been outstanding since the end of July (lowering his ERA from 3.63 to 3.01 in that time) with the Phillies going 7-4 in games he has started since July 21. Roy Halladay has continued to pitch well, though he has seen his ERA rise of the past several games. Since July 21, the Phillies are 9-2 when Doc takes the mound. And then there is Roy Oswalt. Oswalt has been a revelation since arriving in South Philly. The Phillies are 9-1 in games Oswalt has started, while Oswalt has lowered his ERA from 3.53 to 2.90. By having three starting pitchers that are pitching this well, the Phillies have been able to get over offensive slumps and still win games.

Who saw this coming? – Maybe my wife’s optimism is rubbing off on me, but even though I thought the Phillies were in a tough spot, I didn’t think they were out of it. A couple of months ago, I asked in this very space if the Phillies chances of making the playoffs were toast? In that post, my answer at the time was that I thought the Phillies would make one of their patented 2nd half runs, but that they needed reinforcements (enter Roy Oswalt). I also stated my belief that the Braves would falter. I went a step further in my post wrapping up the first half by stating, “My bold prediction is that the Phillies will storm back to win the division, as the Braves fade down the stretch and the Mets remember they’re the Mets and choke sometime in September.” The latter part of that prediction has already come to pass. The Braves have faltered in September, going just 8-9, while the Phillies have gone 14-3 this month. As for the Mets, they choked earlier than expected and are 14 games behind the Phillies. We shall see if the first part of that prediction comes true, with the Phillies holding a 3 game lead over the Braves with 13 games let to play (6 of which are against the Braves).

What the Phillies need to do? – The Phillies have 13 games remaining, 7 at home and 6 on the road. All of the games are in the division, and as mentioned before 6 of those games are against the Braves (3 home, 3 away). The other remaining games are against the Nationals (4 games – 1 at home, 3 away) and Mets (3 home games). Their current home stand, which ends against the Mets next Sunday and includes 3 games against the Braves, could decide the division. If the Phillies head to Washington with a lead in the division, the Braves will be hard pressed to catch them. If the Phillies went 7-6 in their remaining games (and there is no reason to believe they can’t post that kind of record), the Braves would have to go 10-3 just to tie the Phillies. With the way the Braves have been playing that just doesn’t seem likely.

According to Baseball Prospectus, the Phillies currently have a 98.55% chance of making the playoffs (+23% over the last 7 days). With a 3 games lead over Atlanta, and what amounts to a 5 game lead in the Wild Card (if necessary), the Phillies look headed for their 4th consecutive postseason.

The Liberty Bell at Citizens Bank Park hasn't rung much in the past 9 games. If the Phillies want to make the playoffs it needs to ring a lot more often.

What a difference a week makes. Last Tuesday (8/17), I was in attendance for the game where the Phillies took the Wild Card lead from the San Francisco Giants. Since that game, the Phillies are 3-6. They have ceded the Wild Card lead to back to the Giants, and the offense has looked anemic. This 9 game slump is reminiscent to the offensive struggles the team experienced during June and July. Since the game I attended, the Phillies have scored 25 runs, an average of just 2.78 runs per game. It’s amazing they have won three games! Somehow they managed to score 8 runs against the Giants on the 18th and 6 against the Nationals on the 22nd (both wins). The other win came in a 1-0 win over the Nationals, where Roy Halladay was his usual dominant self. During this stretch, the Phillies have lost games where their starters have given up 1 (Joe Blanton on 8/23 against the Astros), 2 (Cole Hamels on 8/24, the 16 inning game), and 3 (Halladay on 8/25, the revenge of J.A. Happ). These are games the Phillies should win. The offense, which a year ago was so potent but this year has been streaky, should score more than 2.78 runs per game.

The craziest statistics I came across while researching for this post showed just how under supported Halladay and Hamels have been this season. In Hamels’ 27 starts. the Phillies have scored fewer than three runs 14 times (follow the link and scroll to the bottom to see the breakdown). Of those games, the Phillies have been shutout in 4 of them! With Halladay it is even worse. While the Phillies have been shutout just once with Doc on the mound, they have scored fewer than three runs 16 times. Of those 16 games, they have scored one run in 6 of them. When your two best pitchers have ERAs of 2.22 (Halladay) and 3.40 (Hamels, who has been excellent in the 2nd half with an ERA of 2.83) the team should win more games. Period!

Thankfully for the Phillies, the Braves have lost three straight and are 5-5 in their last 10 games. While the Braves have been swooning, the Phillies have missed opportunities to pick up games. During the last 9 games, the Phillies have lost 5 games to teams they should have beaten (1 to the Nationals and 4 to the Astros). Given that the Phillies won 2 out of 3 against the Nats, I can’t complain too much about that loss. What is incomprehensible is the sweep by the Astros. The team is 11 games under .500 and came into the series 15 games under .500. While the Astros have played better over the last couple months – they are 26-21 (.553) during July and August – they aren’t a contender. During that same period, the Phillies are 29-21 (.580). Most of their starters, with the exception of Hunter Pence (and he might not), wouldn’t start for the Phillies. Their pitching staff consists of a bunch of former Phillies (Brett Myers, Nelson Figueroa, and the aforementioned Happ), Wandy Rodriguez and a guy best known for ESPN comparing him to Chuck Norris after his first start (Bud Norris). Not exactly a staff that strikes fear into many teams, and one the Phillies certainly should have handled.

Given the Phillies previous dominance at home and the Astros weakness on the road, the sweep is even more difficult to understand. Going into the series, the Phillies were 42-22 (.656) at Citizens Bank Park. On the flip side, the Astros were only 22-36 ).379) on the road. Combine these stats and most would have predicted a Phillies series win, if not a potential sweep for the Phils.

As with the Braves, the Phillies’ main contenders for the Wild Card have been playing poorly over the last 10 games. The Cardinals are 3-7, while the Giants are 4-6. The Phillies should give thanks that these teams decided to play poorly at the same time they were slumping. Entering tonight’s games, the Phillies found themselves. 5 games behind Giants, and were even on losses. The Cards have 3 games in hand (but are playing tonight) and have 1 fewer loss. Right now, all Phillies fans should cheer for the Nats who take on the Cards tonight. It could be a tough game for the Nats, as Chris Carpenter is on the hill.

Looking forward, the Phillies need to find their offense and kick it into high gear. Of the teams they are now battling with, the Phillies have the toughest schedule remaining. With a West Coast trip – including stops in San Diego, LA and 1 game in Colorado coming up – the Phillies face tough competition over the next week and a half. The Phillies play just one team the rest of the way who are currently under .500 (the Nationals, for 6 games). According to the latest Hunt for October on ESPN, the Phillies remaining strength of schedule (SoS) is .505. By comparison, the Braves have a SoS of .485, the Cards .467, and the Giants .485.

To make things even more difficult for the Phillies, they have 22 road games and just 13 home games remaining. This does not bode well for a team that is 28-31 (.475) on the road. If the Phillies win 47.5% of those 22 games, that would give them 10 (maybe 11) wins. If they win at home at their current pace, the would give the Phillies 8 (maybe 9) more wins. I’m not sure that between 88-90 wins is enough for the Phillies to win the division, and it will be just as tough to win the Wild Card with that number of wins. What all Phillies fans have to hope for is one of their now patented September runs. If all goes well, the season ending series against the Braves in Atlanta could decide the division and may decide which team is golfing come Columbus Day.

The Phillies clearly have the toughest road ahead and need to take advantage of any missteps the Braves, Cards or Giants make. They haven’t done that over the last few days and might look back at these past 9 games and wonder what might have been.

Last night, I completed the finally leg of my baseball-centric road trip – taking in the Phillies-Giants game at Citizens Bank Park. It was a fun game and a special occasion for me, as my family and I celebrated my father’s birthday and my birthday. The Phillies certainly delivered a great present for both my and my father, winning what became a wild game. In addition, Chase Utley returned from the DL, which afforded me the opportunity to see my favorite Phillie in action.

Domonic Brown and Jim Jackson doing an interview for Phillies radio prior to the game.

Walking through the stadium to our seats, we were treated to seeing rookie Domonic Brown being interviewed by radio personality, Jim Jackson. It was pretty cool to see Brown up close and listen to his interview with the former voice of the Flyers, now the voice of Phillies radio.

When I heard the pitching matchups announced for the series, I was happy that Roy Oswalt vs. Barry Zito was the contest for the game I would be attending. I had seen Zito pitch earlier in the year when I went to a Giants-Cardinals game in San Francisco, so I would have liked to have seen another Giant pitcher (maybe Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum) but I can’t complain too much. I was exciting to see Oswalt toe the rubber for the Phillies.

Roy Oswalt pitching to Andres Torres

The game did not disappoint, right from the start. Pat Burrell made his triumphant return to Citizens Bank Park and received a hearty ovation both during lineup announcements and prior to his first at-bat. He promptly thanked Phillies fans by smashing a home run into the left-field stands to give the Giants a 2-0 lead. Matt Gelb, Phillies beat writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, tweeted after the home run “So that’s twice this year when Phillies fans have cheered an opponent (Thome, Burrell) only to have them homer. Stick to booing, obviously.” Funny, how Phillies fans defy all the stereotypes that sports people want to assign them and are then rewarded with home runs that hurt their team. I suppose people might say that karma is a bitch. Following a rocky first inning, Oswalt settled down and looked dominant until surrendering a home run to Jose Guillen in the 7th.

For the Giants, Zito pitched well through the first 4+ innings, but then the Phillies strung together a mini-rally in the 5th to tie the game and another in the 6th to take the lead. Of course, I missed the rally to take the lead, as I was in line to get Crab Fries from the Chickie’s and Pete’s stand. The line to get the fries was incredibly long, rivaling those at Disney World. Crazy! Philly sure does love those Crab Fries. During the 6th, Jayson Werth finally did something with runners on base (though Placido Polanco wasn’t in scoring position). Werth has been terrible with runners in scoring position all season, but maybe his double while Polanco was on base will jump-start his season.

Chase Utley, safe at 2nd after a throwing error by Mike Fontenot in the 8th.

The game took a comical turn in the 8th, as the Giants handed the Phillies insurance runs on a balk by Ramon Ramirez and a throwing error by Mike Fontenot. By the time the Giants committed these errors, the Phillies had already taken a 7-3 lead, but a couple of free run to pad the lead certainly were welcomed. As for the Phillies pitching, Ryan Madson (he pitched the 8th) and Chad Durbin (pitched the 9th) both looked good. Madson continued his scoreless innings streak, it’s now 10 1/3 inning over 10 appearances. Not too shabby.

Placido Polanco standing on first base after one of his 4 hits.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Placido Polanco’s awesome night. All he did was go 4-5, to take the lead in the NL batting race from Joey Votto. Polanco ended the night batting .325 to Votto’s .324. It should be fun to watch Poly make a run at the batting crown. Hopefully, he has many more 4-5 nights before the season is over. The Phillies need those types of performances to make the playoffs, and it would be great to see a Phillie win the batting title. If Poly can hang onto the lead, he would be the first Phillie since Richie Ashburn in 1958 to win the crown!

The Phanatic was happy with the outcome of the game, and is excited the Phillies are now in the lead for the Wild Card.

With the win last night, the Phillies took the lead in the Wild Card race. They are 19-5 in their last 24 games, and now have a 1 game lead on the Giants and a 1.5 game lead on the Cardinals. Following the game, Baseball Prospectus puts the Phillies’ chances of making the playoffs at 52%, up 5% with the win. If the Phillies can win one of the next two games against the Giants, they should end this week in possession of the Wild Card lead.